Earth moving and material handling



Oct. 17, 1944. e, w. CARLSON 2,360,316

EARTH MOVING AND MATERIAL HANDLING Filed May 8, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Irag Q 1944- G. w. CARLSON EARTH MOVING AND MATERIAL HANDLING Filed May8, 1941 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 17, 1944 UNITED STATES FATENTOFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to earth moving methods and apparatus andparticularly to provisions for a wide range of utility in machines ofthis character.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide for the continuousand concurrent removal, and loading onto a vehicle, of earth to bemoved.

It is another object of this invention to provide for the constructionof a subterranean tunnel in loose material.

A further object of this invention is to provide for automaticallygrading earth to any degree of curvature.

Additional objects of the invention will become apparent incident thepractice thereof in accordance with the teachings of the followingspecification and the attached drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of the preferred modification of amachine, illustrating the method employed in tunneling thru loosematerial;

Figure 2 is a view of the machine of Figure 1 from the Working facethereof, as from line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view from line 33 of Figure 1, the tunnel timbering being,however, illustrated only in dotted lines and the machine being shown asin operating position occupying the entire tunnel section and accessiblefor disassembly of the lateral excavating units from the main excavatingunit;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation to illustrate mechanismfor providing accessibility for disassembly and for permitting relativeadjustments of the planes of the tractor tread and the excavatingmechanism and for adjustments of the degree of curvature of the surfaceto be worked;

Figure 5 is a sectional detail as at plane 5-5, of Figure 6 illustratingthe construction of the retractable excavating shoes; and

Figure 6 is a plan from the plane of 6-6 of Figure 5.

In the arrangement shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, a vehicle 2, preferablyself propelled and of the tractor type provided with a power plant 4,tractor treads 6 and lateral frame stringers 8, carries at one endthereof, and in inclined relation thereto so as to overlie the vehicle,an earth excavating head in adapted to engage the earth body on theforward and upper side of the rig and move soil from the earth body upand over the vehicle to drop through a hopper 12 onto a suitableconveyor M, or onto a truck. By this arrangement the earth moved istransferred from one end of the Vehicle to the other without change ofthe orientation of the vehicle 2. The depth of cutting into the earth at[6 is determined by the position of vehicle 2. Vehicle 2 is drivenforwardly against the earth concurrently with the operation ofexcavating head H).

The earth moving rig comprises central endless chain type scoop sections48 including a frame I8 carrying sets of chain scoop idler and drivinggears 26 and 22 respectively. Frame I8 is carried by vehicle 2 on legs24 and brackets 26. Brackets 26 are rigidly secured to frame l8 andpivot about the axis of the power supply shaft 26 driven from powerplant 4 and supported in the stringers 8. Legs 24 are extensible andcontractible as shown in Figure 3, through turnbuckle 30. Legs 24 arepivoted to frame [8 at 32 and on the vehicle frame stringer 8 at 34.Power is supplied from the vehicle to the adjustably mounted excavatorhead It! through the bevel gears at pivot 28 and takeoff shaft 36, whichshaft 36 drives gear 22 through a chain drive within housing 38. It isevident, therefore, that whatever the adjustment of turnbuckle 36 maybe, a supply of power is communicated to the chain scoop 40.

Adjustment of turnbuckle 36 provides two different results. In thetunneling illustrations of the figures the vertical height of the tunnelis thus determined, and when the machine is to be removed the excavatinghead I0 is lowered by adjusting at 30 so as to present a smaller crosssection in the plane normal to the tunnel. This is necessary because itmust pass below the roof timbers 42 (Figure 1), and also permit thevehicle 2 to run upon any ties installed in the flooring.

Another function of the adjustment afforded through turnbuckle 30 hasrelation to automatically cutting away earth deposits to a desiredcurvature. In the operation of the machine illustrated in Figure 1, theearth cutting begins in the plane of the vehicle treads, that is on thesame level as the level of the floor in Figure 1.

It is essential that the cut start as at 46, in the same plane as thetractive treads in order to effect uniplanar flooring, and so that theroof of the tunnel shall likewise be in one plane. If, however, thepoint is raised above the plane of treads 6 by shortening legs 24, theresulting floor is curved concave upward. For example, by adjusting theturnbuckle 36 so as to increase the length of leg 24, the tips ofbuckets at point 46 are caused to dig downwardly into the floor on alevel below the chord drawn tangent to the bottoms of the tractor gearwheels; that is, below the level of the floor portion which supports thetractor treads. As the excavating progresses and the tractor advances,the plane of the tractor treads comes over the points just excavated anddrops gradually downward in doing so, thereby causing the tips 46 to outstill further below the original level of the tractor treads, asillustrated. The level of cutting is thus changed to the formation of acurved surface which continues to become steeper downwardly as theexcavator progresses. On the other hand, if the points 46 are positionedabove the plane of treads 6, as by shortening the legs 24, the resultingfloor is curved concave upward.

In addition to the central chain scoop sections 48, the machine containsprovisions for reducing the horizontal dimensions of the entire machinetransverse the axis of the machine, so that the machine may return fromwhence it came, passing between the vertical timbers 58. Such timbersare erected behind the machine as it advances in conformity with theneed for shoring and timbering. As illustrated in Figure 3 the vehicle 2is much narrower than the tunnel cut, extending only between thevertical planes passing through points a and b. The widths of chainscoopsection 48 may be of the order of, or slightly greater than, this width.

The width of the cutting face of the moving rig is increased by theaddition of separable lateral sections 62 of chain scoops, as in Figures2, 3, and 4, idler and drive shafts 64 and 66, respectively, havingseparable flange couplings 68 for connecting shaft extensions 10thereto. extensions 18 are supported in lateral frames 12 to positionlateral section scoop drive gears 14. When the machine is to be movedrearwardly from the face of a tunnel, its width is decreased byuncoupling the lateral sections of the chain scoop at 68. After loweringthe central portion 48 through adjustment of legs 24, the machine canpass the timbering. The discharge of soil from sections 62 is ontohopper wings 63, which are pivoted to hopper I2 for collapsing inwardlyin order to clear timbering 58 (shown in dotted outline in Figure 3) inmoving rearwardly or to the right from Figure 1 position.

In order to drive the chain scoop and afford access for a mechanic touncouple the lateral sections 62 thereof, the central section 48 of thechain scoop is provided with transversely extensible and contractiblebuckets 16, having gear engaged base bucketlpo-rtions 18 and thelaterally shiftable bucket portion 80. The position of shiftable bucketportion 88 is controlled by cam pin 82 sliding in camway 84 secured toframe l8. Accordingly, the idle portion of the central scoop section,which portion is illustrated in Figure 3 and disposed rearwardly, isreduced in breadth to provide the openings 86 through which the members24, 26, pass to support the frame I 8, and through which takeoff shaft36 also passes to drive the chain scoop. The openings 86 are sufficientto permit entry and uncoupling of the shaft extensions If! and 18.Before uncoupling these extensions, the individual scoops may bereleased to the floor by pulling a link pin of the chain scoop; theframe of these lateral extensions may be fastened against theirinterference With the movement of the central portion 48 of the scoop.It is only necessary to remove one link pin from each chain of scoops62; by so doing the entire balance of the chain may be fed forwardly inthe normal direction of movement for Shaft excavating by means of thenormal drive which results in the side sections 62 being deposited wellforwardly of the frame l8, that is, under the rearward (rightward inFigure 1) portion of frame l8. The frame sections I2 may be released andwithdrawn, or they may be anchored to the lateral side walls (to theleft and right of the Figure 3), in any desired manner, and thendisconnected from the main portion of the head as at couplings 68. By sodoing, the vehicle 2 and section 48 may be driven rearwardly betweenuprights 56, and then the frame sections 12 for 62 may be released fromtheir anchors and re- -moved from the tunnel.

Accordingly, it is clear that a substantially flat forward scoop surfaceis presented by excavating head If! to which power is applied from acentral power plant, of less dimensions than the excavating head, and tothe rear of the scoop and outside of the chain-scoop proper.

The versatility of this machine will be appreciated when it is furtherpointed out: that the upper end of the chain-scoop can be used to trimoverhead material to any desired level above the floor within theadjustment range; and that the lower end of the chain-scoop at 46, is,alone, usable as a scraper and loader, since it can pick up at groundlevel and concurrently deliver at truck or belt conveyor level.

It is to be noted that the forward, or leftward movement of the vehiclein Figure 1, results in the wedging of the vehicle into the earth, thatis, considering the tractor treads as one face of the wedge and theworking face of the chain scoop as the other face of the wedge. Inasmuchas the teeth of the scoops, while operating, tend to pull the excavatorhead into the earth due to the reaction of the earth, it must be clearthat the tractive effort of the tractor treads leftward assists toeffect feeding to the teeth into the earth body.

In tunneling, or cutting ditch through loose earth, it is essential thatthe ceiling and walls be timbered directly behind the zone ofoperations. According to the present method the entire face of thetunnel is supported against falling into the excavated space by theworking machine, and the timbering 42-56 is emplaced immediately behindthe chain-scoop while it is in operation. The arrangement permitstimbering to the very point where the excavator head ceases to supportthe tunnel face.

While an auxiliary frame 12 and scoops 62 have been described, it willbe appreciated that a similar effect may be achieved in reducing thewidth of the machine by making camway 84 removable from the main frame[8 and permitting the bucket sections 80 to come off by an excessmovement inward. For example, the base bucket 18, Figures 5 and 6, isgrooved to normally receive the dove-tail lugs 19 of portion 80 inlocked relation, such lugs, when pin 82 moves freely of camway 84, beingfreed to permit liftirig the portions 88 rearwardly of the machine outof engagement with portions 18. By such construction the vertical planesthrough points a and b, Figure 3, would define the sidewalls of thetunnel. The access ports 86 reduce to passages between the tunnel wallsand the retracted ends of sliding buckets 88 and serve to give access toa mechanic for loosening camway 84 to, in turn release pins 82, and thescoops or buckets 80 may then be removed one by one as they are fed overthe machine. The shafts 64 and 66 terminate within the Width of thecentral portion 48 of the excavator head and couplings 68 areunnecessary.

Having described my invention and explained the principle of itsoperation both in the method and a preferred embodiment of apparatus forcarrying out that method in accordance with the statute, it will beapparent that other variations of the invention may be resorted to bythose skilled in the art for the purpose of accomplishing one or more ofthe useful results flowing therefrom without departing from the spiritof the invention. It is therefore to be understood that the disclosedembodiments are illustrative only and the following claims are referredto for a definition of that for which the inventor is secured protectionhereby.

I claim:

1. In combination; a tractor including endless chain type treads, anengine supporting chassis carried by said treads, an engine carried bysaid chassis, said treads being so mounted on said chassis that thelower reaches thereof determine the orientation of the tractor withrespect to earth and said treads forming the maximum laterally extendingcomponents of said tractor; an excavating head including a frame, anendless chain type scoop mounted on said frame and formed in sectionsone section of which is of less breadth than the lateral width of saidtractor treads and forms the central portion of said scoop and the othersections of which form extensions of said central portion and whichsections are removable from extended relation with said central portion;and means for mounting said frame on said tractor in such manner as todispose the 3. In combination with the structure of claim 1, means tocause portions of the scoop to change position in the inactive phase ofoperation and in the lateral sense so that access may be had to theregion between the reaches of the endless scoop, and whereby the scoopface is continuous in the operative phase.

4. In combination with the structure of claim 1, means for adjustingsaid scoop carrying frame with respect to the tractor chassis, the framebeing pivotally mounted so that one end of said scoop may be adjusted ina range which includes the plane of the tractor contact with earth andregions above and below such plane; whereby said scoop and tractor areadapted to cut either a plane surface or a concave or a convex surfacethrough said adjusting means.

5. In combination with the structure of claim 1, the scoop being mountedwith the scoop disposing the lower end thereof immediately in advance ofthe forward moving tractor, and means forming part of said framemounting means for adjusting the vertical position of said lower end ofsaid scoop with respect to the tractor position.

6. In combination; a tractor including endless chain type treads, anengine supporting chassis carried by said treads, an engine carried bysaid chassis, said treads being so mounted on said chassis that thelower reaches thereof determine the orientation of the tractor withrespect to earth and said treads forming the maximum laterally extendingcomponents of said tractor; an excavating head including a frame, anendless chain type scoop mounted on said frame and formed in sectionsone section of which is of less breadth than the lateral width of saidtractor treads and forms the central portion of said scoop and the othersections of which form extension of said central portion and whichsections are removable from extended relation with said central portion;and means for mounting said frame on said tractor in such manner as todispose the scoop endwise of the tractor.

GEORGE W. CARLSON.

